Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert is hopeful that Christian Benteke will be fit to play against Tottenham on Sunday.

Last Updated: 16/10/13 12:39pm

Christian Benteke: Aston Villa striker was forced off at Carrow Road with a hip injury

Benteke has not featured since the 1-0 win at Norwich on 21 September after picking up a hip injury, but the striker trained with Belgium during the international break and could return against Spurs at Villa Park.

"He trained the last couple of days with Belgium and was on the bench which indicates that he felt pretty good," said Lambert.

"Our medical team spoke to theirs - as you do with every player - and everyone seems to have come back not too bad.

"I don't know if he'll be ready for Tottenham. He'll know himself how he's feeling. All I know is he was on the bench last night.

"He trained for a couple of days and hadn't had a reaction, but that might change, I'll just wait and see."

Lambert believes Villa's homegrown players are doing a good job in helping the club's foreign imports settle in the west Midlands.

Six of Villa's seven summer signings were bought from overseas and Lambert, who played in Germany during his career, says it's crucial players are made to feel welcome.

"I was a foreigner myself and I needed help when I was in Germany. I'm pretty sure the same thing will happen here," he told the Birmingham Mail.

"When you are a foreigner and in another country you tend to fit into the culture pretty quickly. The group get on really well, they are a really strong group, The British lads will help them settle in quicker.

"Until I got to get to grips with the language it was difficult. It was the football terms I had to get first and foremost.

"Forget everything else, I needed to get the language on the football pitch first. Then everything falls into place and you get a grip on it."